This invention relates, in general, to storage devices and, in particular, to container liners and methods for lining storage containers.
Intermediate bulk containers (IBC""s or Tote""s), an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 1, are used to ship liquids. IBC""s generally contain either 275 or 330 gallons of liquids although many other sizes and varieties are available. One example of an IBC is a composite style IBC 1 which is typically a blow-molded bottle 2 manufactured from polyethylene materials, as depicted in FIG. 1.
IBC 1 is housed in a metal cage 4, typically aluminum tubing although steel wire mesh cages are also common. IBC 1 has a six-inch opening 6 in the top center with a discharge opening in the bottom front. A valve 8 is secured to the bottom discharge opening that allows the IBC to be drained by a turn of the valve""s handle. As manufacturing technology has improved with this style of container, its use in the bulk liquid shipping market has grown. IBC""s are reusable but in many applications cleaning needs to occur between uses.
An industry has developed around the maintenance and cleaning of these IBCs. After use, these containers generally have to be cleaned. This process is not only expensive in many situations, but it takes time and transportation charges to move the bottles to cleaning facilities and then return them to the owners. As an alternative to the cleaning of these containers, there have been several attempts to develop a liner for use with the IBC""s which can be disposed of after each use. This eliminates the need to clean the inside of the IBC""s, however in practice, these liners have been difficult to install and use. For example, many of such liners resemble xe2x80x9cflat bagsxe2x80x9d, which do not conform to the shape of a typical IBC and therefore may create wrinkling of the liner inside the IBC. Such wrinkling may block discharge ports and thus trap liquid contents inside the IBC""s.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved liner for bulk storage containers which facilitates discharge of stored materials therefrom and reduces or eliminates cleaning costs for the bulk containers.
The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a liner system for a container which includes a body, a neck, and a valve. The body is adapted to substantially conform to the inner surface of the container and a first end of the neck is attached to the body and the second end of the neck is adapted to conform to a shape of an opening in the container. The valve is adapted for fluid communication between an interior surface and an exterior surface of at least one of the body and the neck.
The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a liner system for a container which includes a body adapted to sub statically conform to an inner surface of the container and a discharge flange adapted to sealingly engage a discharge valve wherein the discharge valve is detachably connected to the container.
The present invention provides, in a third aspect, a method of lining a container. The method includes providing a liner which has a body adapted to substantially conform to an inner surface of the container and means for providing fluid communication between an inner surface of the liner and an exterior surface of the liner. The method further includes introducing the liner into the interior of the container.